Easy, Wacky, and Cheap: Costumes for Halloween 2007

Time to start thinking about Halloween costumes again as the 2007 kick-off to months of holiday madness is upon us. So, before the November first roll-out of Santa costumes let's take a moment to consider Halloween, the holiday favored by the wild and wonderful everywhere. We all know the factories in China have already produced plenty of movie related product: Spider Man, Fantastic Four, Underdog; you know the rest better than I do most likely. But I'm interested in the fun and easy costumes less likely to be appearing in the aisles of your local discount store. The following are a few ideas I'm pretty sure are going to appear at a Halloween bash near you, or should, anyway:

Paris Hilton in prison stripes.
With the heiress's short but celebrated residency in an L.A. jail this one seems like a no brainer. You could dress it up: a black and white striped mini dress and spiked heels. Or dress it down: dowdy striped sackcloth. Need: platinum blonde wig, striped prison uniform, bible tucked under arm, self-satisfied smirk.

Bridezilla.
Bridezillas seemed to get a lot of ink this year. Need: some kind of reptilian costume/makeup, a bridal veil, white dress, claws, shrieking bouts of intense anger. This is another one you could tart up, or go traditional with. Variation: Groomzilla, same-sex Zillas.

Michael Moore.
Michael Moore certainly had a great year with Sicko. The upside is you might catch on video some truly spectacular Halloween night antics and become a star of YouTube. Need: black framed glasses, video camera, maybe padding.

Tay Zonday of Chocolate Rain, YouTube fame.
Tay Zonday shot to YouTube fame this year and considering the bizillion views his video of Chocolate Rain garnered, this should be both an easy and recognizable costume. Need: square wire rim glasses, white t-shirt, head phones and maybe some temporary black hair dye. Variation: multiple Tay Zondays. You and five of your friends might make a scary group of Tay Zonday clones. Especially if you're diverse. Maybe like multi-race Tay Zondays. Just a thought.

Ugly Betty.
With the recent success of Ugly Betty in the Emmys this is sure to be a popular one for Halloween 2007. Need: nerdy glasses, black wig, wildly mismatched outfit.

Edna or Tracy Turnblat.
2007 was the year of Hairspray. Guys could go the John Travolta route and do Edna. There's also couple potential. Need: glam outfit, big hair. And don't forget to start working on the styling product buildup that will make the bouffant more resilient.

Nancy Drew.
With the Nancy Drew movie out this year somebody is sure to try the plucky girl detective. Need: preppy outfit, magnifying glass, plenty of perk.

Balls of Fury's Randy Daytona.
This is a fun one, especially if the movie takes off. Plus it should be pretty easy to pull off. Need: Black T, wild hair, sideburns, ping-pong paddles, and possibly some padding.

Sloppy drug-addled Britney.
Sadly Britney has seen fit to make herself an obvious 2007 must have Halloween costume. Need: sparkly bikini, blonde wig, boots, a pill bottle and a booze bottle, no idea what's going on.

Same-sex brides/grooms.
This shouldn't require much explanation. Big topic this year. It could even be good for a hetero couple.

What ever you do, remember what my grandma always said: "Don't do anything at night you wouldn't want to see on YouTube in the moning." And have fun.